


finding gold in our darkest moments

by sofarsoperfect



Category: Beta Cats RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Gen, Medieval Feeling, not quite enough to be an AU though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 14:58:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9612866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sofarsoperfect/pseuds/sofarsoperfect
Summary: Jack didn’t say anything but looked at Eryn for a long moment before folding up the map.“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Tilley asked later, pushing her bag to the side after setting up her sleeping bag. Jack made a noncommittal noise where he was laying down his own sleeping arrangements. “I’m serious. The mines-”“I know you’re worried, T. I’m worried too,” Jack told her. Tilley softened a bit. “I know it doesn’t seem that way but I’m worried as much as you are about Eryn, but you know what it’s like to convince those two of anything. Without us, they’d probably be dead, as stubborn and reckless as they are. Eryn was lucky to get out of that alive, so let’s just protect them, okay? They’re not going anywhere without us, now,” he reminded her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> from start to finish this was a month of writing, editing, and revising all culminating into this wonderful, nine thousand word fic dedicated to, and about, my favorite humans
> 
> you could say it was worth it

Eden dropped down from the horse, pushing their bangs out of their eyes. Jack tied up the horse, Eryn nodding to the door of the inn. Tilley and Jack secured the horses while the two of them walked into the inn, greeting the man at the counter.

“How can I help you?” he asked, lowering the book that he had been reading.

“Yes, we were hoping you had a couple of rooms for the evening,” Eryn told him. The innkeeper pulled out a large, leather bound book and looked through the pages.

“We only have one vacancy, but it’s a double,” he told them.

“We’ll take it,” Eden told him, untying the small baggy from their side. He turned to grab the key while Eden dropped a handful of coins on the counter. Jack and Tilley came in behind them as the man handed the key over. Eden smiled, taking the key and lead the party up the stairs. Eryn paused and backed up, setting their hands on the counter.

“Would you know anything about an enchantress in the area?” they asked, lifting a brow. The man gaped, opening and closing his mouth for a second before leaning in.

“Yes,” he stated, rather reluctantly. “If you’re looking for the town enchantress she’s on the far end of the square but travelers usually come for the sorceress in the woods,” he admitted, avoiding their eyes.

“Where can I find them?”

“She’s several hours north of here, through the Wintry Woods. She lives in a cottage, it’s over the swamp. When you see the slimes, you’ll know you’re in the right area. But she’s not… she’s not a kind woman.”

“Well, thank you. Have a nice evening,” Eryn told him, nodding to him. He nodded back, leaning away and carefully picking his book back up.

Eryn pushed open the door to their room, Eden counting out the gold they had left while Tilley rationed the food. Jack was cleaning and polishing their weapons when Eryn landed heavily on the edge of the desk where Tilley was sorting the food.

“What did he say?” she asked without lifting her head.

“The town’s enchantress is on the far side of the square, but there’s a sorceress in the woods,” they mentioned. Jack lifted his head, Eden’s brows lifting where they were counting their gold.

“Is that a good idea?” Jack asked.

“Can it be any worse of an idea?”

“We’ll talk more in the morning,” Tilley said, lifting herself from her chair. “It’s been a long day and we’ve got miles to go. Let’s get to bed,” she suggested, resting a hand on Eryn’s shoulder. They nodded and stood to put their bag down.

They all climbed into bed, Eryn and Tilley sharing a bed while Eden and Jack were in the other. Eryn turned over in their sleep, their brain still alive with the information. Tilley was turned away from them while Eden and Jack were curled together in their bed.

Eryn’s fingers curled into the scratchy material of the blankets, still thinking of the soft comforter of home. The comforts of home so many miles away, the bed and pillow lumpy underneath them. They closed their eyes, trying to find sleep despite the lack of warmth in their heart.

“I’m fucking freezing,” Eden complained, the four of them traveling into the Wintry Woods. The horses were huffing and puffing in the thin, cold air while they attempted to get through the snow blowing around them and into their eyes.

Winter was bad enough but the Wintry Woods were cold all year round. The roads were steep, slick with snow and the water almost constantly frozen. In the winter the woods were near blizzard conditions, tens of degrees below zero and they huddled together on the horses in an effort to get through it.

“He said it was the swamp! If we see slime, we’re in the right area!” Eryn bellowed above the blustering winds. Tilley’s teeth were chattering, Jack half bearing down on the head of the horse, so stiff he could barely sit upright. Eden pressed their cheek against his back, Eryn’s fingers frosty where they were clenched around the horse’s reins.

They didn’t know how long they were in the wind, the snow coming down so heavy and thick they could barely keep going, when Jack heard the sound of slimes. He struggled but lifted himself up properly, turning the horse in the direction. He snapped the reins, the horse picking up. Eryn snapped the reins, their horse running after his.

“Jack!” Eden shouted, clinging to his back. He didn’t reply, taking a sharp turn. Eden yelped, hearing Eryn and Tilley’s horse at their back, trying to keep up.

He skidded to a stop at the edge of a swamp, a stand alone brick house on stilts above the water in front of him. There were a few slimes jumping around nearby and he jumped off, nodding for Eden to take the horse to the cliffside at their backs.

Eryn and Tilley came up behind them, Eden having jumped down and tying up the horse while Jack was making quick work of the slime that were getting close. Eryn jumped down to help while Eden and Tilley covered the horses with blankets, coming up behind them to get to the sorceress’ cottage.

The swamp was covered in a thick layer of snow, the water that should’ve been lapping against the land was crystallized, frozen around plants and the roots of the trees. The brick house’ chimney was spouting smoke and radiated warmth, stronger the closer they got to it.

Jack climbed the stairs first, lifting a hand to knock. The door opened and the four of them yelled at the pull they felt, stumbling when they were suddenly inside the house, the door slamming shut behind them. The heat in the house was almost too much, despite it being so cold outside. It was steamy hot and Tilley pulled at her collar uncomfortably.

“Can I help you?” Someone hissed from around a corner. The front of the house looked like a living room, a couch and chairs, coffee table and a doorway to the left. From the outside, the house looked hardly big enough to hold a single room but inside, it was expansive, even from where they were standing. They could see the doorway, a hallway to the right and Jack stepped up.

“We’re looking for the enchantress who lives here. Who are you?” He asked, hoping that in calling her such would gain them her trust.

She was in front of them in a blink of an eye, talling and slim with patches of black-green scales. She smiled with fangs, slitted eyes staring them down. Jack looked her in the eyes and she smiled wider at him.

“You found her. What can I do for you?” She asked, lifting a brow.

She looked like two different people and a snake blended into one. Curly hair and thick brows, but a thin face and body, swamped in a dress that looked more like a purple robe the way it hung off of her frame.

“We need someone to get our magic back,” he told her. She scoffed and seemed to melt a little. She waved a hand for them to follow her.

“Children,” she hissed. “I appreciate your, faith in me, but I’m no miracle worker, I’ll have you know,” she told them, sitting down at the table. They had moved into a kitchen-like room, a fireplace with a large cauldron in the wall and several appliances, like an ice-chest and a wood stove off to the side. The table looked worn and had only two chair sitting next to it.

“Enchantresses can restore magic,” Tilley told her.

“Yes, that’s true, but there are rules to magic law. Who took it, was it accident or not, was it merely a misfortune that caused your magic to disappear. Even so, magic does not always return to you as it left you. As previous magic holders, you must know this,” she told them.

“It was a warlock, we’ve not got all the time in the world to debate this, can you do it, or not?” Eryn insisted.

“Warlocks are tricky creatures, rather interesting,” she sighed, standing once more. “They steal magic from mages, white mages, which is all that you four can be-”

“Three. I’ve not been so lucky,” Eryn admitted. She turned to look at them for a long moment.

“Oh, you poor thing. Well, I can help you, but perhaps not in the way you would prefer. I can point you in the direction of a small group of magic holders, a wizard, a potions master and their friends. They can perhaps restore your magic. I can’t promise you anything.”

“Is this because you’re a sorceress?” Eden asked. The woman was quite suddenly bearing down on Eden, Jack and Eryn already reaching for their weapons.

“How dare you! I’m as much a magic welder as you, more now than ever, black mage,” she hissed. Eden narrowed their eyes. “I know a black mage when I see one. You’re lucky I’ve not smited you yet, being so poor and without powers. You may hide behind your white mage friends but I know. I can see through you now. If you wish my help, you’d do better than to question me.”

“Where are they?” Tilley asked, changing the subject. The enchantress paused, still staring Eden down before turning to look at Tilley.

“A week’s travel from my swamp. Past the Cattalion Lake and the city Roosto. Take the gravel paths through Cactus Fire Desert and find them in the Tundra to the south. The glow of a portal will give them away,” she told them. “But be wary,” she warned, “especially you,” she turned to look at Eryn, “they take not kindly to your kind and the road will be dangerous.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, begone,” she told them.

In a snap they were back outside, the wind tearing at them and freezing them to the core. They made a run for the horses, the sky getting dark and wind seeming to pick up out of nowhere, a blizzard on the horizon.

“Can we really trust her?” Eden asked, adjusting the pack on their back.

“We’ve no choice but to. C’mon, we’ve got a long journey,” Jack insisted, untying the horses and climbing atop the black one.

It took a day and a half to get to Cattalion Lake. Eryn sat down on the edge of lake, splashing their face with water. Tilley sat down next to them, filling the kettle with water.

“You’ve been quiet since we left the swamp. Is it what she said?” Tilley asked, adjusting the kettle. She pulled it from the water and wiped off the sides with a cloth and then offered it to Eryn to wipe their face. “You’re not a bad person because of what happened.”

“Well, neither is Eden but everyone has to hold something against them. Being a black mage isn’t technically a bad thing,” Eryn reminded her.

“We know that. We all know that, and it doesn’t make you bad either,” Tilley assured them. Eryn sighed, while she stood, walking back towards where Jack was setting up a fire. It was going, low and slow, but Tilley set up her stilted hot plate above it, setting the kettle on top.

Eden pulled the tents out, setting them up as the sun began to set. Eryn walked over to help, getting a soft smile.

“It’s not your fault,” Eden reminded them.

“I know. It’s not yours either,” they replied. The tents went up without much effort, the four of them sitting down around the fire, Jack poking it and adding wood to keep it going.

“Tea?” Tilley asked, pulling the leaves off of the twigs. Eryn dug their metal cup out of their bag while Eden was already leaning forward for the hot drink.

“We’re a day out from Roosto,” Jack mentioned, opening the map. Eden blew air across the top of their mug while Tilley filled Eryn’s. “If we take Miner’s Pass, we can cut the travel time in half, then again, the monsters are common. It’s up to you guys,” Jack insisted, drawing his fingers across the map to get to the city.

“I think we should take the long way,” Tilley admitted.

“There may be gold or iron in the mines we can trade for coin. We might want to take the pass,” Eden mentioned. Tilley hummed, setting the kettle back on top and adjusted the skillet in the fire, stirring the carrots and potatoes. “What do you think, Eryn?”

“I think Eden’s right, we can’t pass up good ore. If we find some, we could make good money in the city. Let’s take the pass,” they agreed. Jack didn’t say anything but looked at Eryn for a long moment before folding up the map.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Tilley asked later, pushing her bag to the side after setting up her sleeping bag. Jack made a noncommittal noise where he was laying down his own sleeping arrangements. “I’m serious. The mines-”

“I know you’re worried, T. I’m worried too,” Jack told her. Tilley softened a bit. “I know it doesn’t seem that way but I’m worried as much as you are about Eryn, but you know what it’s like to convince those two of anything. Without us, they’d probably be dead, as stubborn and reckless as they are. Eryn was lucky to get out of that alive, so let’s just protect them, okay? They’re not going anywhere without us, now,” he reminded her. Tilley nodded, Jack resting a hand on her shoulder for a moment. “Now go to bed. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“I don’t like this cave,” Tilley informed them, standing at the entrance of it.

It was technically a mine, wood shafts keeping the rock out of the way and opening the way for the pass. Jack had the map in front of him, the path drawn onto it slightly crooked but mostly a straight shot from one end of the pass to the other. Eryn swallowed and unsheathed their sword in preparation while Tilley was leading the horse. Eden had the other one, Eryn and Jack leading the way.

“It’s not bad. Look, it’s got torches!” Eden mentioned, pointing to the torches that lined the walls. Tilley shook her head, not liking how dim it was, and voiced said concern.

“It’s fine,” Eryn said, taking an experimental swing with their sword. “Let’s go,”

The walk was dark, that was for sure. Tilley kept her head on a swivel, biting her lip at the way the light from outside the tunnel was getting farther and farther away. The darkness surrounded them, the dim torches their only light as they followed the path through the mines.

“Did you hear that?” Eden asked, glancing over their shoulder. Eryn swung her sword and moved to the back of the pack, keeping an eye out behind them. They couldn’t have something like losing their horses happen, they were thin enough as it was.

Jack paused next to an abandoned minecart, opening the compartment inside to rummage around. Eryn brandished their sword while Eden kept their hand near their own weapon in case it came to that. He emerged from the minecart with diamond and gold in hand, stuffing it as far as possible into the bag to take when them.

“C’mon, Jack,” Tilley urged, nudging him where he was putting his bag on. The noises Eden had heard sounded closer than before, louder to them all and they walked at a brisker pace towards the end of the pass.

Tilley breathed a great sigh of relief at the pass opening up in front of them, the light of day beginning to come into the tunnel when Eden heard the noise of a monster in their ear. Turning around, they gasped at the undead, discolored monstrosity coming close from the branch off of Miner’s Pass.

“Jack,” they warned but Eryn was already there, stabbing their sword deep into their stomach. Eryn paused, feeling their body sway slightly. The greenish colored monster moaned once more, bringing them back and forcing them to shake it off, taking their sword back, and beheading the monster a second later.

“Eryn,” Tilley said but Eryn only looked at her. “C’mon, we’re nearly there. Roosto is practically right out the tunnel,” she insisted. Jack nodded, gently trading swords with them.

The city was, indeed, all but right outside the tunnel. They could see the sprawling town in front of them, less than a mile from where Miner’s Pass opened back up. It was all brick and dark wood in front of them and they mounted the horses to gallop into town, stopping at the cobblestone path that began at the city’s entrance.

“Eryn and I’ll go to the town’s smith, trade them for the ore and diamond. You guys find a place to stay, okay?” Jack suggested. They agreed, Jack and Eryn taking one of the horses with them, Tilley and Eden setting off to find an Inn with a vacancy.

“Hello!” A young woman greeted them at the bar and inn. Eden had stayed outside to watch the horse, Tilley having coming in to look for rooms. She smiled and stood at the counter.

“Hi, my friends and I were wondering if you had a vacancy for the night. We’re just looking to stay for the night on our travels,” Tilley told her. The young woman’s mouth twisted but she turned to pull a book from a nearby chest, opening it to find the rooms.

“We have a few of rooms available. Are you looking for doubles or no?” She asked. Tilley breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whatever is cheapest.”

Jack took the bag of coins from the smith, the man marvelling at the handful of gold and diamond he had been given. It had been a pretty penny, but less than what he would be making off of the quality supplies they had given him. They shared a look, Jack tucking it into his bag and nodding on their way.

The door closed behind them and Eryn gently pulled the horse along with them after it had been untied from outside the smith’s. They looked down at the sheath they had and paused, tapping their fingers against the hilt. It was thicker and without a gem, wood wrapped in spider string for reinforcement. They looked at Jack.

“Give me my sword back,” they said. Jack sighed and removed the sword from their belt, the thin handle delicately cradling in his hand and glowing softly from the enderpearl Eryn had embedded into it.

“I wanted to wash it for you,” he admitted, but offered the sword. Eryn took theirs from their belt, shoving the blade at Jack.

“I don’t need your help,” they told him. Jack frowned at them. “I can handle it.”

“When are you going to grieve for yourself?” He asked, looking at them for a long moment. Eryn sheathed their sword, smoothing their thumb over the enderpearl. “What happened to you is a tragedy, Eryn, but you and Eden refuse to deal with it. You’re not the same person you once were-”

“You’re right about that,” Eryn retorted. “I’m only half.”

They lifted a hand to rub at their shoulder, covered by their clothes and iron tunic. Jack didn’t press the matter, the two of them walking in silence back to where they had left their friends.

Eden waved a hand outside the bar and inn, only a few yards from the entrance of the city. Jack greeted them, kissing the top of their head and Eryn smiled softly while Eden took them to back to tie it up.

“Are you okay?” Eden asked, the two of them tying up the remaining horse and covering them with a blanket.

“I’m fine. A little shook up, but fine,” they assured them. Eden nodded, pulling them in for a brief hug. Eryn sighed and then pulled back, the two of them heading up to the room.

Tilley was on her way out when they came in, saying she were going to get a little bit more supplies. The door shut behind her and Jack looked at the gold they had accumulated, counting out the coins they had. Eden sat down on the edge of the desk while Eryn disappeared into the bathroom, wetting the cloth in their pocket and sat down on the floor to clean their blade.

The red-green-black of decay came away with every swipe of the cloth, making them gag a little. They took a deep breath and then held it to finish wiping it up, the images in their mind perhaps more putrid than the smell.

Eryn sheathed their sword and stood, leaning it against the counter. They looked at themselves in the mirror and sighed, their skin pale but not discolored, not yet, they feared. Their eyes were tired, dark circled like the others and they picked up their sword, glancing once more at the mirror. Rubbing their shoulder again, they left the bathroom.

Their bags ended up being piled onto the backs of the horse’s, the four of them walking through the desert instead. The Cactus Fire Desert was no joke, the sun beaming down so hot they had actually seen a field of dry brush and cactus go up in flames already.

Roosto was a good place to rest but they had miles to go and they had shedded all non-essential clothing the moment they passed the wintery wonderland that was Roosto. The sun seemed unrelenting beyond the city, the sand nearly burning their feet through their shoes.

Tilley had tied up her hair with a bandana, Eryn and Jack’s armour having been discarded into bags and onto the backs of the horses. Eden passed the last remaining water bottle across the four of them, the group struggling to keep themselves upright in the overbearing heat of the desert.

“We have to keep going,” Tilley said, when the sun began to set. Eden moaned where they had fallen into the sand. It was a scorching bed of what was essentially dirt but they didn’t even mind. “The temperature is going to drop and if we stop going it’s going to be even longer before we reach the tundra.”

Jack pulled on his jacket and tunic, the temperature already to starting to drop.

“C’mon,” he said, tossing the clothes at them. Eryn stood and brushed the sand off of themselves, picking up the clothes on the ground. They pulled on their jacket and tunic, Eden getting further dressed as well and then climbed on the horse.

“The horses should be good to go, right, sweetheart?” Eden said, gently petting the horse’ snout. It snorted once and then nuzzled their hand. “Let’s go, it’ll be faster, especially if the temperature is going to drop.”

And drop it certainly did.

The four of them ended up bundled up, near as bad as the Wintry Woods but worse with the wind suddenly kicking up sand. It near blinded them and the horses as they went through the desert, trying to reach the end of the sand as soon as possible. The temperature seemed to have dropped a near 100 degrees in the span of only a couple of hours as they traveled.

“I see water!” Eden attempted to shout above the roar of the wind. Jack snapped the reins and the horse took off for that direction, Eryn and Tilley’s in hot pursuit.

The night was long and cold and they could see the tell-tale signs of the sun coming up over the horizon when they finally reached the water. It was along the edge of the desert, where the sand petered out into grass and stone and dirt.

“We’ll make camp,” Tilley decided. “A couple hours rest and then back on the road. It’s been a long night,” she admitted.

They made quick work of the tents and all fell asleep.

Eden woke up to Eryn’s gasps, the tents doing little to disguise it. They left the tent, finding the sun high but their body still exhausted and crept into Eryn and Tilley’s.

“Eryn, wake up. Eryn, c’mon,” Eden said, shaking their friend away. Eryn awoke with a gasp, shaking themselves free of their dream. “Jesus Christ, are you okay? You sounded like you were having an asthma attack in here,” they whispered. Eryn rubbed their hands over their face.

“I’m- fuck, I’m fine. I’m just a little out of it. Shitty dream, is all.”

“Was it-?” They didn’t finish their thought but Eryn was rubbing their shoulder again.

“I’ll be fine, Eden, I promise. Go back to sleep.”

Eden slipped back under their bedding in the separate tent, falling asleep uneasily.

They woke a couple of hours later, ending up spending the day on the edge of the water to recharge. They rested up by preparing food and water for the rest of their journey. Eden glanced over their shoulder, noticing at Eryn had shedded their clothes, back down to wearing just their tank top, a thick bandaging job wrapped around their shoulder.

“Are you getting it, yet?” Tilley asked, tired. Eden turned back, turning the food in the skillet. “I know you won’t talk about it and Eryn is still squeamish around monsters but you’ve both got to deal with it. We almost lost them-”

“We didn’t,” Eden cut her off, fiercely. “They’re fine.”

“They’re not fine and the sooner you both understand that, the less vulnerable we’ll be. You think that warlock found us by accident?” Tilley reminded them. Eden pressed their lips together, looking down and away. “This isn’t your fault, it’s nobody’s but his, but you have move on.”

“Eryn won’t talk about it.”

“I know. But harboring these feelings until they do doesn’t help anyone.”

The next morning, they were up to their knees in snow once more, literally. The snow caked the land in a thick blanket and the four of them trudged, rather reluctantly to find the people the enchantress had pointed them toward.

Eden leaned their cheek against Jack’s back, their mind suddenly filling with worry.

About Eryn, about their magic, about these people the enchantress had sent them to. They were having second thoughts about spending so many days traveling across the world to see a bunch of people they had no idea who they were. It made their brain hurt, and they feared what they would think.

The horses came to a stop, quite suddenly, and Jack looked down. Eryn also looked at the horse, at then at Jack. Jack climbed off, carefully, and brandished his sword. There seemed to be no barrier, the land before them as open and expansive as the land behind them but, perhaps a mile in, there were houses. Small buildings hidden amongst the trees and made of dark wood like the trees surrounding them. And among that, a soft glow that he couldn’t put his finger on, one he could only associate to a portal. He reached out and slashed, a metallic clanging noise startling them and knocking him back.

He shook himself off and stood once more, Eryn climbing off of the horse to try their hand. They planted their feet and took their sword to it, getting the same treatment, only being thrown back much farther. They yelled and landed in the powder snow with a thump! Tilley jumped off to check on them, Eryn shaking their head.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, but that barrier is no fucking joke,” Eryn admitted, taking the hand she offered. “Fuck me, man.”

A person glitched into existence, just beyond the barrier. They was tall and dressed in leather and gold armour, holding a trident in their hand. Their skin was bluish and their hair was a vibrant cerulean color. Jack stepped up to the barrier, the person on the other side meeting him there, narrowing their brown eyes.

“What do you people want?” They asked.

“We were directed here by an enchantress. She said you could help us,” he informed them. “She gave us not her name but she lives in a swamp beyond the desert and by the town, Sort Mali, north in the Wintry Woods. Surely, you know her.”

“Alli, we know her. She sent you for what reason?” They insisted.

“We wish to restore our magic. She said you might be able to do it. We know no ill intent and we’re willing to pay you for any services rendered. Please, we have traveled very far,” Eden added. The person looked over the group and nodded, extending a hand. Jack took it, the barrier seeming to have disappeared entirely.

“Come, beyond the treeline is Fort Beta, you will find the help you seek there,” they assured them, turning around.

“Who are you?” Eryn asked. They glanced over their shoulder at them.

“I am Ariana, I protect the fort. You will see why when you arrive,” they said and then glitched from existence.

The four of them climbed back onto their horses and headed into the woods, past the treeline and into a wide clearing that was near completely encased in trees. The tall evergreens created great camouflage for the fort, Ariana standing at the entrance of a tall building, the tallest building in the clearing and spoke in hushed tones with another.

He was shorter than them, dark brownish maroon in skin color and yellow eyes. He was moving his hands around in wild gestures and Tilley jumped off of the horse to walk over to them.

“Where can we tie up our horses?” She asked, gently. Ariana stopped the conversation abruptly to look at them, the man turning to smile gently at her.

“On the other side of the building, here. This is our home, however it also works as an inn. You may stay here for as long as you please.” Ariana huffed, crossing their arms across their chest. “Worry not about Ariana, their bark is worse than their bite,” he assured her. “I’m Eddie, I’m the wizard that keeps watch over the fort. I apologize for the barrier, it is merely a protection against the monsters.”

“I understand. Thank you,” she looked to Ariana as well, “for letting us in here. We’re asking quite the favor.”

“Well, tie up your horses, get comfortable and we will speak to Bailey, the potions master. Between the two of us, perhaps we can help.” He told them. Tilley nodded, walking back to the horses.

Jack and Tilley entered the building, being greeted with a woman at the counter. She was bustling around with three wood stoves going and kettles whistling around her. Jack lifted a brow and Tilley gently rung the bell on the desk.

“I swear to God, Bailey-” she started but turned around and relaxed around the shoulders even if her brow did furrow. “Uhm, hi?”

“Hello, we just reached the fort and Eddie, he, uhm…” Tilley trailed off but the woman nodded, smiling at them.

“No, no, it’s no problem. It’s just usually Bailey fucking with me, is all. I’m Holly,” she introduced herself. Jack looked at her for a long moment, pale with cotton candy pink hair, glasses. She looked, well, human and the only other people they had met were… well, not that. “You need a room then, I’m guessing?” She suggested.

“Yes, a couple of them, if they’re available?” Tilley asked. Holly waved a hand and lifted a thick, heavy book, dropping it on the counter. She blew off a thick layer of dust, wiping the rest off with her hand and opened it for them to see nothing but blank pages.

“You see, we don’t get a lot of visitors. Especially since Ari had Eddie set up that barrier. Useless, really. We’re so far south hardly anyone everyone ever visited to begin with,” she said, picking up a quill and then letting go. It hovered in the air and began writing down all their information down on it’s own while she tended to the stoves and kettles. “Would you like a hot drink? It’s been a fierce winter this year.”

“Uhm, no, thank you,” Tilley replied, lifting a brow as she looked at Jack. He shrugged, the keys on the hooks next to Holly suddenly whizzing past her head and landing on the counter next to the book. The quill put itself away and the book clapped shut.

“I would like one,” Jack admitted. Holly hummed and picked up a kettle, as a mug landed in front of her, a caramel colored liquid pouring from the kettle into the mug that then flew over and landed in front of Jack.

“You folks staying in town long?” She asked, setting the kettle back down. The fires dimmed dramatically on their own and the three doors to the stoves snapped shut. She turned around, smiling at them.

“We don’t know yet. But thank you,” Tilley said, picking up a key.

“Stay as long as you like. We could do with more people,” Holly admitted. They nodded at her, the two of them stepping back outside to get the other members of their troupe.

Eden fell into the bed, sighing at the feeling of the bedspread. Most inn’s blankets were dry and scratchy to the touch but these were soft and a little bit fuzzy. The bed wasn’t lumpy in the least and the pillow was soft under their head. Eryn looked around their own room, however, and hummed.

“This all feels far too good to be true,” they mumbled. Tilley had hung up her jacket and scarf, her pack sitting next to the desk and then turned to look at Eryn. They had moved to the side of the room and were looking out the window, down at the snow covered cobblestone square. There were no people and only a handful of building out here, all situated haphazardly around the square. “I just don’t know.”

“You’re so pessimistic,” Tilley admonished. Eryn looked at her, letting go of the curtain.

“I have the right,” they reminded her. “What kind of town is this, anyway? A fort, this far south. I don’t believe it,” they complained.

“Go to sleep,” Tilley told them, climbing under the sheets. “You can interrogate the villagers tomorrow. It’s late,” she insisted. Eryn huffed, looking down at the square once more.

Ariana was walking across the square then stopped to stand at the doorway of a small shop. A young woman stepped out, stocky and dark skinned with dark hair. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking rather unimpressed, even from this far up. Eryn pressed their lips together but stepped away to get ready for bed.

The first floor of the inn turned into a sitting area for breakfast, they found out when they climbed down the stairs. Eddie and Holly were behind the counter, Eddie kissing her head. Holly waved at them, a long table seeing to sprout from the floor, along with six chairs. Holly tapped her fingers against the counter and the table settings appeared, the food from behind her whizzing across the room and settling down in the center of the table.

“Honestly?” Eddie mock scolded. Holly merely hummed and came from around the counter, sitting down.

“Please, sit down,” she insisted, motioning to the table.

“This is hospitality the likes of which we’ve never seen,” Jack admitted, sitting at the table. Holly smiled brightly, Eddie settling down next to her.

“Well, we’ve not had visitors in a very long time. Now, what was this favor that Ari said you wanted to ask?” Eddie asked, folding his hands at the table.

“Well, you see, about a month ago,” Tilley said, taking a biscuit from the basket. “Something happened at our home. A warlock showed up while we were at our most vulnerable,” she explained and paused. Eddie, nor Holly, asked. “Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t fight him off and he took our magic. If it wasn’t for Jack, we might be dead,” she admitted, looking to him. He ducked his head. “The warlock is gone, for good, but we know not where our magic is. We were hoping you could restore it.”

Eddie sighed, Holly looking to him with curious eyes. He tapped his fingers against the table and then began assembling his own breakfast.

“You know there’s no easy way to get it back,” he told them. “Magic is a tricky mistress at it’s best but there are far too many factors at play here to be certain what could happen. Mages, I assume you are?” He asked. Tilley nodded but Eryn went tense in the shoulders.

“That’s correct.”

“I might be able to do something about it but we’ll talk to Bailey. She’s really the one to know. I’d trust her with my own magic.”

“That might be a mistake,” Holly scoffed, buttering her own biscuit. Eddie looked at her, tiredly.

After breakfast, Eddie walked them over to a shop, the same shop that Eryn had seen Ariana and the mysterious woman talking at the door of. He paused at the door and knocked gently, it being immediately thrown open. The woman had her mouth open, which she closed a second later and looked at the group standing at her door.

“Expecting someone?” Eddie asked, lifting a brow at her. She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning.

“Ariana bothered me last night, is all. What do you want?” She asked, bluntly. She was even prettier up close, stocky and dark skinned with dark hair. She looked at Eddie expectantly, and he smiled gently at her, obviously used to this treatment.

“These are the travelers that came to the fort last night,” he said, gesturing to them. She pushed herself to her tip-toes, Eryn noticing that she was actually a couple of inches shorter than Eddie, perhaps the same height as Tilley.

“Well, that’s all fine and good, but what are you doing here?” She asked. Eddie rolled his eyes.

“We’re asking something of you. May we come in?”

She looked at them warily for a moment but then jerked her head to the inside of the shop, walking further inside. Eddie made a face to them and then lead them into the shop, Jack shutting the door gently behind themselves. The woman was a few steps ahead of them and then knocked on a countertop. There was a loud bang and a shout from underneath.

“Goddammit, Bailey!” the person sticking out from under the counter yelled. Eddie looked at Bailey, exasperatedly, and she smiled widely. The person underneath crawled out and glared at Bailey, standing up. It was another woman, also thickly built but with chestnut hair pulled into a ponytail and dusted in red. She wiped off her hands and looked around, startled to see the building suddenly full of people.

“Lauren,” Eddie greeted her. Her eyes darted to him and she seemed to relax in the shoulders. “Bailey, these are the visitors to the fort. Tilley, Jack, Eden and Eryn,” he gestured to all of them in turn and Bailey dropped down into a chair, Lauren sitting on the edge of the countertop. “They came for our help.”

“Sorry, I’m not much of a help,” Bailey replied, waving a hand.

“Bailey,” Eddie gently scolded. “They’re looking to restore their magic.”

“Oh, is that all!” She said, picking herself back up. “Well, let me just get my book- oh wait!” she continued, pretending to stop short. She turned back to glare at him. “Eddie, I’m no miracle worker. I’m also not a magic practitioner, what do you think I’m going to do?”

“You’re more magic than you think, you’re a potions master,” he reminded her. She frowned. “I can’t do this on my own and the very least we can do is offer some kind of help.” Bailey looked at the four of them and sighed.

“I would like to, but I’ve only read up on this stuff. I just make potions.” She turned back to Eddie. “Why don’t you ask Holly?”

“Because Holly isn’t the most, well…”

“Detail orientated?” Lauren offered. Eddie pointed in her direction.

“Yes, that’s an excellent way to put it. I’m just asking if you would read up on your books, you might have something to help.”

“I’ll look but I don’t know what to tell you guys if we’ve not got something. I’m sorry if you’ve come all this way for nothing,” Bailey admitted. Eden and Tilley looked at each other. “What do you want me to look for?”

“You have potions that imbue magic for a short period, look for something that can do something long term, and Lauren,” Eddie said, looking to the other woman. “I know your enchanting is rusty, but do you think you can do something?” Lauren huffed, setting her rag to the side.

“I can try. I’ll need something to enchant though,” she told him.

“Will this work?” Eryn asked, unsheathing their iron sword. Lauren leaned forward to take it, turning it over in her hands. She nodded.

“This’ll do. We’ll do everything we can, but we can’t promise anything.”

“Anything at all, we’re just looking for something,” Eden admitted, Jack resting a hand on their shoulder. Lauren nodded.

Ariana showed up to the potions shop after dark, letting themselves inside. Bailey waved a hand at them, making them roll their eyes and Lauren looked up from her own book at the enchanting table. Ariana sat down across from Bailey, staring at her until she realized.

“What?” Bailey asked but didn’t lift her head from her reading.

“What did you find out?”

Bailey shut her book and looked at Ariana. Lauren came from around the corner and set the sword down. Ariana’s brows lifted, looking at the iron sword. Bailey nodded to it.

“This came from the one that I’m not certain about. The man and the woman, they’re white mages, and the other one, they’re also the a mage but not the same as the others.” Bailey tapped her fingers against the blade, “But I can’t figure out this one, their aura is-”

“Oh my God, save your aura interrogation for another day, Bailey. Tell me what I want to know,” Ariana told her. Bailey frowned at them.

“Have you no patience? This is important,” Bailey retorted. “They’re not human.” Ariana leaned in. “I don’t know what they are, but they’re not human. Regardless, you need to get over your distrust of people. There’s nothing wrong with any of them.”

“People don’t show up out of the blue, Bailey. I know you’re, like, an empath.”

“I’m a psychic, excuse you,” Bailey interrupted them.

“My point stands. There’s something they’re hiding. People don’t go looking for a sorceress and travel across the world for a bunch of people they don’t know for no reason. It’s suspicious to say the least.”

“Excuse me, you bickering grandparents,” Lauren interrupted them to pick up the sword. “I have to finish this before the morning and I would like to get some sleep. If you’re so worried, Ariana, why don’t you stop using us as spies and ask them?” She suggested, disappearing back around the corner of bookshelves.

“She makes a good point,” Bailey said. Ariana harrumphed and left.

“We have… something,” Bailey admitted, dropping her book on the table. “It took a little time to find something, but the extended version of the Potion of Regen should help,” she said, pointing it out. “It’s not much but if Eddie has the right incantation, it might be enough to protect you.”

“From what?” Jack asked.

“The warlock is dead, isn’t he?” Eddie asked, lighting the candles. “Taking magic from beyond the veil isn’t easy and it’s far too easy to lose someone in the process. Especially from dark magic.” He blew out his match and then turned to them. “The potion of regeneration should protect you from it.”

“And I’ve given the sword Power III, not an easy feat,” Lauren mentioned, handing it over to Eryn. It glittered with a purple-blue ethereal glow in their hand, turning it over to watch it. “The sword will protect you from the dark magic, amplifying the power of the potions.”

Eryn passed it to Jack.

“What’re you doing?” Bailey asked, shaking the potions.

“I’m not magic anymore. Jack should hold it, to protect them,” Eryn admitted. “I can’t protect you and I can’t be in here. It’s too dangerous,” they said, and walked out of the shop. Bailey looked at them, Tilley frowning. Eden made to go after them but Jack caught their arm.

“You won’t change their mind,” he assured them. Eden nodded, turning back to face the others. Jack rested his arm gently across their shoulders, gripping tightly to the sword in their hand.

When Eryn walked out of the shop, they stopped at the person standing there, waiting for them. They clenched their fists but Ariana merely crossed their arms over their chest, lifting a brow.

“Tell me the truth,” Ariana said. Eryn faltered, relaxing a bit in the shoulders, an expectant look on their face. “What are you doing here? You’re not here because of magic, you’re not even human anymore,” Ariana pointed out and Eryn averted their eyes. “What are you?”

“I’m what you just said,” Eryn replied. “I’m not human. I don’t know any better than that,” they explained.

“What happened?”

“I was reckless. I made a mistake and I almost died for it. I’m the reason they don’t have magic, I’m the reason we’re even here,” they explained. Ariana frowned. “If you want to hate anyone, you should hate me,” Eryn lifted their eyes again. “I’d deserve it.”

“I’m pretty self deprecating but I never expected someone worse than me,” Ariana said, honestly. “This isn’t your fault, no matter what you think. You can’t blame yourself. It’s what that warlock would want.”

The crack of what sounded like lightning caught them off guard, Eryn turning around to look at the shop. They couldn’t see inside anymore, a black-purple smoke filling the entire shop. Even Holly had heard, running out the door of the inn to see.

“What the hell is that?” Ariana mumbled.

“Oh my God,” Eryn whispered and ran to the front of the shop. Ariana and Holly followed them, the three of them tearing open the door to the shop.

A cyclone of purple-black smoke replaced where the three of them had been standing, Bailey, Lauren and Eddie on the ground next to it. The table was in splinters and the candles were roaring, threatening to light the entire shop on fire. The books in Bailey’s shop were splattered all over the room and the brewing stand was smashed on the floor. Ariana and Holly ran to them, Eryn stepping in front of the cyclone with dazed eyes.

“What happened?!” They yelled above the roaring wind. Eddie carefully sat up and shook his head.

“I don’t know. It was fine, it was all going fine,” he assured them. Eryn stared into the wind and smoke, the glare of purple-blue and the shine of teal caught their eye in the middle of the storm. Reaching up to rub their shoulder, they brace themselves and stepped into the smoke.

“You don’t know what’s in there!” Lauren shouted.

The smoke seemed to encase them and then they were on their knees. The smoke infiltrated their lungs and they gasped for breath, blinking several times until the dark purple around them adjusted and they could see their friends.

Across a landscape of pale yellow and surrounded by black towers, Eden was on the ground, surrounded by a black aura, Tilley and Jack several feet away and glowing white. Eryn picked themselves up and ran towards them, stopping short at the tall figure in the middle of them, thin and ominous. Their breath caught in their throat, their hand coming up to their neck.

“Not so strong anymore, are you?” Eryn turned around, only to be met by a strong force throwing them to the ground, hard. They moaned and tried to get up, a maniacal laugh reaching their ears.

“What did you think, you could save them? How do you think I found them?” the voice hissed in their ear. “This was your fault,” the warlock told them. “You should’ve been more careful. You’re reckless,” he told them, walking around Eryn. “Now look at you, you’ve got nothing. You’re not even strong enough to stop an Enderman. What makes you think you can stop me?”

“You can’t have them,” Eryn mutter, tone fierce but too quiet.

“Neither can you,” he mocked them. He walked off, Eryn lifting their head to see the warlock walking towards their friends, standing beside the figure in the middle. The black figure made a strange noise and warped away, the man standing in the middle, turning around to look at them.

Eryn grit their teeth and ducked their head, closing their eyes and focusing on their shoulder. It burned, all the way through them, punctuated with a sharp sting. They found they were standing on uneasy feet when they opened their eyes again, staring at the warlock. The man lifted a brow.

“Get fucked,” Eryn told them, brandishing their blade. The warlock didn’t look worried in the least, even as Eryn cut directly through them, a sharp slash that separated him into pieces. He seemed to shatter into a million pieces and Eryn fell to the ground, blacking out.

Tilley’s hand was resting on Eryn’s shoulder when they awoke, their eyes blinking open. Tilley looked up and then paused. For a moment, it was fear in her face and then it was soft, Tilley reaching up to touch their cheek.

“How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Like I went to hell and back,” Eryn croaked, trying to sit up. Tilley helped them upright, their hand moving away from their shoulder. Eryn looked down and swallowed.

The black and purple veined wound was on full display. The entirety of their shoulder was black now, pulsing veins of purple trickling through it. Eryn looked away quickly, suddenly feeling nauseous. They breathed in deeply and then breathed out shakily, looking at Tilley.

“You’re a survivor,” she told them. Eryn nodded, looking away. “Being an Enderman isn’t bad.”

“I’m not normal,” Eryn said. Tilley nodded.

“None of us are. And we don’t have to be,” she told them. Eryn nodded. “C’mon, Eden’s seconds from tearing the damn door down,” Tilley sighed, offering a hand.

Eryn took it, standing up and then paused. Tilley smiled widely as Eryn pulled back, noticing a bright, white glow emanating from her. Eryn smiled back.

“You got it back,”

“We don’t know what you did, but you certainly fucking did it,” Tilley said. Eryn pulled her into a hug, Tilley laughing against their shoulder.

“I don’t know either,” Eryn admitted. “I just did what I thought I was supposed to. I didn’t even know-”

“That doesn’t matter,” Tilley said. “What matters is that our magic was restored and you’re okay and, well, you might want to take a closer look at yourself before you see the others,” Tilley said, nodding to the bathroom door. Eryn looked over, the smile melting off their face.

They rushed to the bathroom, flicking the light on.

The face in the mirror was theirs, but the eyes were wrong. They irises were a bright purple, the same color as the veins in their shoulder and as they looked down, they realized the wound had mostly healed but in it’s place, their skin was black as night, threaded with purple the same color as their eyes. It traveled down their shoulder, ending halfway down their arm and spread across their shoulder and halfway across their chest.

“I can’t go out there,” Eryn said.

“Of course you can,” Tilley told them, tossing a proper shirt at them. “Don’t be stupid,” Tilley told them. Eryn swallowed, fingering the material of the shirt. Tilley huffed and left the room, the door slamming behind them.

Eryn closed their eyes, squeezing them shut for a moment, only to open then and finding nothing had changed. They were still black and purple, eyes purple and they pulled the shirt on, huffing to themselves.

“C’mon,” they sighed and left the bathroom.

Eden jumped them as soon as they left the room, wrapping them up in a hug. Eryn froze up, the familiar warmth of Eden’s black magic permeating the room, filling their body with affection and just a hint of fear. They pulled back, wiping their eyes and Eryn let out a startled breath.

“Stop crying,” Eryn pleaded, lifting their hands to help wipe the tears away. Eden laughed, sounding hysterical, and sniffed.

“I’m gonna stop crying, I am,” they said. Jack came up behind them, pulling Eryn into a side hug, Eryn smiling into his shoulder.

“You’re gonna be fine,” Jack assured them.

“Let’s just hope the rest of them think so too,” Eryn said.

Turns out, they didn’t have much to worry about other than Bailey.

“I’ve never seen this,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes. “I’ve never seen an Enderman cause this,” she mumbled, walking around Eryn. Eryn’s eyes were wide, uncertain and Eddie reached out to smack her.

“Stop staring at them!” Eddie admonished. “C’mon, you’re probably starving. Ariana, Lauren and Holly are at the inn,” he sighed, heading for the door. Bailey hummed but followed him.

“You’re not…” Eryn began, still standing in the middle of the room.

“No, we’re not,” Eddie assured them. The corner of Eryn’s lips tilted up into a smile and Tilley nodded to the door, the four of them headed to the inn with them.

“So, you’re leaving now?” Bailey asked, waiting up for them. Eden sighed, Jack’s lips twisting a bit. “I mean, I know we’ve not known each for long, but there’s something intriguing about a troupe of two white mages, a black mage and a part Enderman.”

“We were intending to leave,” Tilley admitted but also lifted a hand to the back of her neck. “But I mean, we’ve not really got much of a home.”

“And it’s a long ass walk back,” Eden said.

“That’s for damn sure,” Jack sighed.

“Well, if you want to stay,” Eddie said, opening the door for them. The smell of food and the sound of playful bickering reached their ears. “There’s more than enough room. And I think even Ariana is taking a shine to you,” he mentioned, nodding to the person in question.

Ariana set the kettle back down, looking over and waved with a smile. They all waved back, Ariana nodding to Eryn when they caught each other’s eyes for a second.

“Well, I can’t see why not,” Eryn admitted. “Besides, who else is going to cook this well, ‘cause it sure as hell ain’t me.”

“If you’d like, we have a carriage,” Lauren offered, leaning in the doorway of their room at the inn. Eden looked up, Tilley snapping the cover of her rucksack into place. “I know it’s not much, but it’s better than running across the desert without cover.”

“We’ll be back in only a few days. Jack found there was a shortcut across the channel. But thank you,” Eden said.

“Well, you guys be careful. It’s still a long journey and it was hard enough to restore your magic the first time, we don’t really want to do it again,” Lauren joked.

“What could go wrong? We have a half Enderman on our side!” Tilley replied, equally as joking.

“I heard that!” Eryn shouted and peered around the corner from the bathroom.

Physically, they hadn’t changed since their transformation more than two weeks ago, other than their shoulder mending in it’s own, but they did seem to be in a better place, emotionally. They smiled more, they went out and sparred with Ariana and Jack and all in all, it seemed better. None of them had seen Eryn act in such a way since before the attack,

“Am I wrong?” Tilley asked.

“C’mon, we’ve gotta get going. We’re burning daylight,” Jack said, shouldering his bag. Lauren gestured in front of them, Jack leading them down the stairs and to the first floor where every seemed to have congregated to say their goodbyes, for the time being.

“It’ll be four days!” Tilley exclaimed as Holly and Bailey shoved food and potions at them. “We won’t be gone that long!”

“We’re worried! We have every right considering the shambles you made of my potions shop!” Bailey reminded them.

“I cleaned that!” Jack reminded her.

“We’ll see you when you get back,” Eddie said, hugging each of them in turn. “Take care, get home safe.”

“It really can’t be any worse than last time,” Eryn assured him, their eyes seeming to glow extra bright.

“Don’t even say that! Don’t tempt fate!” Holly shouted.


End file.
